ATLANTA — Marketing trends, brewed proteins, shifting regulatory policies and impacts of animal diseases — the pet food industry gathered to learn about these topics and others during the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Pet Food Conference on Jan. 29. Held in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, the conference brought together 500 professionals — a new record, according to the AFIA.
“It is exciting to see the continued growth of the AFIA Pet Food Conference, reflecting the industry’s commitment to growth and innovation,” said Louise Calderwood, director of regulatory affairs at the AFIA. “This year’s conference delivered valuable insights on everything from novel ingredients used in pet food and the latest consumer trends in pet food, to addressing critical regulatory updates.
“Staying up to date with these changes is essential for the industry, and we appreciate the engagement from our record-breaking audience and look forward to continuing these conversations in the years ahead,” she added.
Hear some highlights from the Pet Food Conference by Pet Food Processing Editor Kimberlie Clyma below.
Michael Johnson, principal of consumer strategy at BSM Partners, took the stage to kick-off the event with a dive into consumers and marketing trends. According to Johnson, consumers are looking for better affordability, greater transparency and ethics, more innovation, and “more truth and less marketing,” meaning that to stay competitive in the industry, pet food brands must commit to more honest advertising and better product education, focus more on health benefits, and embrace sustainability.
Johnson also spoke about the problematic term of “pet parent.” When considering their audience, Johnson urged pet food companies to steer away from “pet parent” and get more specific, as pet parents range the gamut of demographics.
“In the industry, we call these people blanket ‘pet parents,’ which is the lamest, laziest piece of marketing,” he explained. “… If you are not innovating to a specific consumer, you’re missing the target, and you may be wasting a whole lot of money. So, know your consumer and know what your consumer actually values.”
Among the many trends Johnson covered, sustainability and innovation are a top priority for consumers. In fact, many are expressing more interest in alternative proteins as a means to advance sustainability. Of these many alternative proteins are those developed through precision fermentation. Rich Kelleman, chief executive officer of Bond Pet Foods, discussed the use of this technology and its application in pet nutrition.

Erin Perry presenting at the AFIA 2025 Pet Food Conference.
|“What we do for [these dogs] matters, because what they do for us matters,” she said.
After a quick break, three students shared their latest research. Sydney Banton of the University of Guelph discussed the impacts of high-protein, low-carb diets on heart health in dogs. Hilary Carrera of Auburn University shared her research on pet owners’ sensory perceptions of jerky pet treats made with swine pluck, which includes pig heart, trachea, esophagus and lungs. And Elizabeth Geary of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign dived into her research on the impacts of various processing methods on amino acid digestibility and energy content of dog foods.
Lara Moody, executive director of the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) then provided a peek into IFEEDER’s Pet Food Consumption Report. The report covers 602 pet food ingredients, representing 9.28 million tons and $13.2 billion in value. The full report is expected to be released sometime this month.
With significant changes happening in the regulation of pet food, Leah Wilkinson, vice president of public policy and education at the AFIA, and Austin Therrell, executive director of Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), provided critical updates on the regulation of animal food ingredients.
Wilkinson also shared updates on highly pathogenic avian influenza, highlighting the need for pet food manufacturers to reanalyze their food safety plans to consider the virus as a new hazard.

AAFCO Executive Director Austin Therrell presenting at the AFIA 2025 Pet Food Conference.
|In addition to sharing details on AAFCO’s new animal food ingredient regulatory pathway with Kansas State University Olathe, Therrell also shared several updates from AAFCO’s mid-year meeting held mid-January, including newly approved alternative protein ingredients.
Ending the conference, Grace Danao, Ph.D., research associate professor at the Food Processing Center at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and Julia Guazzelli Pezzali, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the Pet Food Program at Kansas State University, shared how their respective universities support the pet food industries. From preparing future industry leaders to enter the workforce to the various facilities and processing capabilities each university offers, the industry continues to benefit from these partnerships with academia.
Stay tuned for more coverage from the 2025 Pet Food Conference.